


"Signature Despair" - Ultimate Teacher's Assistant Execution Commission

by MedicatedMiserable



Category: Danganronpa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25792930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MedicatedMiserable/pseuds/MedicatedMiserable
Summary: (Commission For Fluff_Sketchin, Leonard Francis {DR OC} Execution).





	"Signature Despair" - Ultimate Teacher's Assistant Execution Commission

**Author's Note:**

> (Commission For Fluff_Sketchin, Leonard Francis {DR OC} Execution).

"Why...after all of this time, t-this...bullshit that we put up with, it was all for your enjoyment...why? What was the purpose?!"

The Ultimate Teacher's Assistant, Leonard Francis - or whom he claimed to be - was standing in front of the killing game survivors, studying their faces of confusion and utter distraught. They didn't know who they were speaking to at the moment, it wasn't the Leon that they thought they had known...honestly, could Leon say that he recognized himself anymore? Every part of his past, his personality, his genuine emotions that drove him into the verge of humanity - it was all dead, buried within the depths of this academy. He didn't care, and he didn't have to either- He chose to side with despair, and that was a promise that he vowed to take down to his grave at such an untimely, well-deserved death. These utter strangers to him, silhouettes in front of him that he had merely put up with as a participant just to study their approaching despair up close and personal...they seemed to care about lot more about Leon than he cared about himself. Such pity and disbelief within the hearts of the ones that were still sane. If only Leon could say the same about himself, to go back and fix everything that he had done - but it was too late. He had officially lost himself to this overly-fabricated persona of nothing but deviance and sin.

At least he had the will to be a participant of his own killing game, he could say that much - he had chosen to orchestrate everything from behind the scenes, pulling the strings and watching as the only people in his life that he truly cared about crumbled before him and committed such ungodly crimes in order to survive. It filled his heart up with such despair, such emptiness that was irreversible. He had become a shell of who he used to be, a poor decision that had built the legacy before him. One of the survivors in front of him at his podium, Adriel, was yelling furiously with complete vengeance and hatred...nobody could blame him. A wicked, almost inhumanly wide grin tugged harshly at the cracks in Leon's lips as he looked down at his feet - he didn't have an answer as to why he had done this, at least directly. It was something that he should have asked a long, long time ago before he had taken part in such devious actions...why. Maybe that one word could have changed everything for him, for so many people globally that had suffered from this war between hope and despair which Leon had chosen the wrong side to fight for...one word that meant nothing to him anymore, even less than the surviving students standing before him. You could say that it wasn't fully his fault for how his life had turned out, what courses of action he took to support this...adrenaline-rushing feeling of despair - but who else was to blame? All eyes are on him - he was finally the center of the show, the main attraction.

From a brainwashed, powerless ultimate to one of the leaders of the Remnants Of Despair organization, making the headlines at the mere beginning of this masquerade - he had made it far, so very far beyond his own expectations that it was extraordinary. Whether it was fighting for hope of brawling for despair, he had made something out of himself...engraving his name into the history books for the eternity of this corrupted universe. Whether it would stay that way, he would never know - because his demise was approaching. If he wanted to continue his route of despair, engulfing the world in such a beautiful, ethereal feeling, a bond with the devil himself - he could do it. He could fake his execution, change his identity, fabricate another personality like he had done in the past to keep himself "innocent"...but he couldn't. He had too much pride, and like the original mastermind, the young woman behind this legacy of destruction, Junko Enoshima herself - he had to follow the rules of the game, dying with honor and purpose. Despair was his only purpose, a craving that he was willing to die for so eagerly.

His amber-brimmed eyes, like the eyes of an owl, glared across the room as he finally looked up. The remaining survivors stood before him, the ones who had made it from start to finish, playing along with his game like the vulnerable chess pieces that they were - Adriel, Claude, Max, and Rosalie. Fewer than he had expected, but the more found torn apart piece by piece, bleeding out on the ground...the more despair fueled his body, igniting an ember in the hole where his heart used to be. It was so...facinating to him, how the survivors lived off of hope throughout this whole game and yet his only promise of a future was despair. It was a trap...his whole existence was a trap now, now that he had lost his true self. That's how it was meant to be. "Congratulations..." is all that the taller man could manage out, bringing his left hand up to tug at the collar of his mastermind attire, his true form now revealing itself to the others now that he had lost. "You...discovered me. You've won..." he couldn't contain the small chuckle that had escaped his lips, starting out small but gradually growing into a more crazed state. "I-I can feel it...complete and utter despair...oh how it b-burns!~"

Rosaline flinched at these words, Adriel's face turning a bright red while Max and Claude just...stood in shock. Their peer that they had trusted all of this time, that had "helped" them fight against Monokuma and the despair engulfing their weakened minds...it was all a lie. "No...no, it doesn't have to end like this...Leon, remember who you are, w-who you were in the game..." Rosaline began, outstretching her arm a bit as if she were reaching out for something. Even if the others wouldn't, someone had to keep fighting for hope. Sure, they had won, but...was it all worth it if they would end it here, giving up on Leonard and escaping without true release? All of the deaths of their peers, the hope that came and went so vigorously...nothing that Leon could say or do could truly make up for what he has caused, but if he joined them, maybe it would be enough for now. "You can't...go back and change what you've done, but you can start over and prove that you're not the monster that you've made yourself out to be...just come back!"

Claude allowed his jaw to unlock itself, stopping himself from biting his tongue. It was...worth a try. They couldn't get over this completely, they would never be able to at all. They had to start somewhere, though...if they were truly on the side of hope, they had to try. Leon...was a monster, no doubt about that, but the villains in the stories usually wound up to have a past that had converted them to such deviance. "Look, Leon, or whoever you are...you fucked up, real fucking bad. You killed our friends, our family, everything that we cared about was put on the line for your sick satisfaction...but you don't wanna die like this, taking all of that guilt down to the grave or wherever you'll go. Make change with us, not against us...please..." Claude pleaded, the grip around his shoulders tightening as he gave himself a tight hug.

Unlike the others, Adriel didn't seem to budge...not that he was objected to, they had all lost so many important people to them in this killing game, Leon deserved to suffer for what he has done. Of course, deep down, Adriel didn't want to see another fucking death no matter who it was, practically in denial still of the fact that Leonard Francis was behind it all. Still, he wasn't going to forgive that easily, at least aloud. "Stop trying, h-he's not going to change...if the deaths of his friends wouldn't convince him that he's fucking insane, our petty words won't do anything," Adriel stated through gritted teeth. Although he was on the side of hope, he was still human...he felt pain all over his body from this betrayal. It wasn't fair to him, to anybody...but none of this was fair. 

The final remaining beam of hope trying to shine its light onto this corrupted file, Max...she had to say something, to keep going, or else this whole battle was meaningless. If Leon died right here, even by his own hands, it would mean that in a way, hope hadn't won fully...they'd all still be losing someone that they cared about, even with his faults. Clenching her hands into fists, Max's eyes aligned with Leon's glance. "Listen to them, Leonard...you don't want this. You never did, I know it...you were manipulated. It was unfair, I understand, but...I know that you have it in you to fight against it. For us and for the ones who died, I'm begging you, don't let this be the end!" Max exclaimed, pounding her fist into her podium. Even without Adriel's encouragement, they all knew what they desired...they didn't want anyone else to die.

A terrible, heavy silence weighed down the atmosphere to even further depths than before as Leon looked around the room once more. The smile on his face seemed to falter for a moment as if he was...thinking. It didn't last long, however, because in the blink of an eye, Leon was back to his deranged persona. He let another loud, barreling laugh pass through his lips, the pupils in his eyes almost completely dilated. "You REALLY think that I'm going back...after all of this dedication?!" Leonard yelled, squinting his eyes. "The deaths of the fallen...I almost feel bad for them, but I remember why I did this in the first place...oh, right, because it was f u n!~"

The four survivors...couldn't believe what they were hearing. Fun, it was all for fun, all for this dreadful feeling that they would never be able to understand. Rosaline felt her eyes brimming with tears as she shook her head, retracting her hand and tugging at her hair. "Adriel was right...there is no going back. I chose this for myself, and I'll die for what I believe in...hope is something that left me a long time ago, my friends...I suppose that time will forever be irreversible. There's no point in being sad now, you've already won," Leon continued to explain despite everyone's reactions. "It's time for me to go now. I never thought that I would lose this battle, but...oh, does it make me want to curl up and die...amazing..."

Max's fingernails dug into her palms harshly, almost drawing blood as Rosaline let out a sob. Adriel could only look away, cursing under his breath. "No, wait, think this through-!" Claude attempted to scream. It was no use, not even hope could save Leonard now. He was meant to die in his eyes, so many deaths dedicated to worshipping despair and the excruciating pain in the body and soul that came with it. Words, actions, nothing would make a difference....he was too far gone now. Leon's eyes closed shut as he smiled once more, his smile...seeming somewhat forced as he brought his hands up, one index finger pointing at his temple whilst the other pointed right in front of him, a similar hand motion to Junko Enoshima herself. Before another word could ring through the air, Monokuma interrupted the scene with his piercing, robotic voice.

"Let's give it everything we've got, it's...PUNISHMENT TIIIIME!~"

As Monokuma slammed his hammer onto the infamous button in front of his chair, it seemed that Leon has disappeared right before their eyes. When he had appeared again...it wasn't in the way that anyone had wanted him to. Forcing their eyes to look upon the monitor that had dropped down, the screen was oddly blacked out before a small, torn piece of paper fluttered down in front of the screen, the camera angle lowering down towards a table. Once a light was exposed to the piece of paper, the words plastered on the front in neat black ink was now clearly visible - "The Ultimate Teacher's Assistant Execution, Signature Despair".

The screen then flashed back to Leonard Francis, his body being dragged into a monotoned, office-like room. His body was flung back into a black, leather rolling chair. He didn't have to be restrained at the moment, since what would be the point in the mastermind trying to escape from the execution that he had set up for himself? However, that relief didn't last too long. The usual execution music blared on the speakers, Monokuma appearing in front of Leon wearing an official-like suit as if he was Leon's boss. Leon could only glance around and look up at the oddly-placed paintings hanging on the walls...the peaceful faces of the fallen victim's to Leon's game. Monokuma eyed Leon's rather blank face for a moment before setting a paper down in front of him and a pen. There were no specifics on this paper, except for a large, blank rectangle with the words "sign here" pasted above it. With a rather steady hand, Leon reached over and scribbled "DESPAIR" into the box before throwing the pen forwards. It was like he didn't even recall his own identity anymore, despair consuming him beyond the point of no return to a humanized state. His handwriting was much different now as well, a lot less neat and tidy than what it used to be. As Monokuma snatched the paper away from Leon, Leon hadn't even noticed what was coming right for his face...before it was too late.

The pen that he had thrown in front of him had started flying back at him like a boomerang, piercing into his right eye socket as he had turned his head towards the soaring object. Leon's blood sprayed out of his socket, his eyeball practically exploding on impact with the ink. Even in such a despair-filled state, he couldn't help the fact that he was in excruciating pain, letting out a loud screech that was laced with both pain and pleasure alike. Before Leon had the chance to lift his hands up and try to yank the pen out of his eye, Monokuma had thrown an abnormally large office stapler at the assistant, landing right on his arms and stapling them together. His wrists were now bound, leaving Leonard helpless now...just as he had intended. The young man was already a bloody mess, the gory scene in front of the survivors enough to make them dangerously ill - but it wasn't over yet.

Monokuma had quickly made his way back over to Leon, a small rope cascading down from one of the ceiling tiles above them that had collapsed. The robotic bear didn't hesitate to pull on this lever, confetti falling from the rest of the ceiling tiles along with a large banner that Monokuma held up into the air. Written in messy letters like in a horror film with what seemed to be blood, the banner read "Congratulations Leonard! You're FIRED". The word "promoted" used to be in the place of the word "fired", but it was now crossed out. He wasn't only about to be fired from this mortal realm, but he was about to be fired from taking on the role as the ultimate despair in this foreign country...it seems that his dreams of spreading despair across other countries would have to be taken upon someone else's hands, because his were now stapled together.

On cue of Leonard reading the words splattered across the banner, the plain white floor tiles beneath Leon gave out, the whole room seeming to shift as the chair plummeted downwards into the darkness, Monokuma letting out a loud and sporadic laugh. The monitor seemed to glitch out, the screen turning a bright blue and going silent before flickering back on. It had come back at the perfect time, Leon's body falling into view only a millisecond after. He had now been unhinged from the chair forcefully, falling down onto his back. His fall seemed to be cushioned by the objects beneath him in a way...although it wasn't comfortable at all. The large room seemed to have a conveyor belt as the main flooring, everything shifting towards an ignited incinerator located on the other side of the room that was modeled after Monokuma himself. The incinerator was built on the whole wall, absolutely gigantic - the "cushioning" that the young man had fallen into were scraps of paper, but no normal scraps at all. The scraps were sharp like knives, every move that Leon would make would deliberately drive the edges of the paper into his skin, penetrating him. He was already bleeding out from both the scraps against his clothing, his stapled wrists, and his lack of a right eye - the white parts of his outfit were now brutally stained a bright pink color. Still, even as Leon and the rest of the discarded papers shifted towards the incinerator, it seemed as if his mind had gone completely blank...silent. As if he were trying to savor this moment, the last one that he would have.

Closer and closer he came to the raging flames, the camera still following him closely. Just as he had almost come to the edge of the conveyor belt, however, the flames already making his body sweat immensely...everything stopped. The execution music, the machinery working the conveyor belt...everything. It was only the flames still remaining, now feeling like a calming winter's fireplace to Leon. Why...had it stopped? The survivors were left confused for a moment, just a brief one. Leonard was confused as to why it had stopped too, demanding it to keep going so that he could finally have his release, to actually feel the despair burning away his flesh, skin, and bones to the core. However, one glance down in front of him and...everything seemed to wipe away.

Buried within the piles of piercing paper scraps was a picture of Leon when he was a little boy. Innocent. A young boy that believed in hope, believed in the power of good over evil. The overachiever. The real Leonard Francis.

Leon's eyes widened, his heart rate picking up as he looked down. There was a certain flickering in his eyes...pure, genuine fear. Not fabricated or faked for the sake of putting on a face and pretending that he was like everyone else, no...he was scared, terrified even if what he had done and the fate that lingered before him in these crisp embers. The pain was suddenly hitting him, the jabbing at his weakened body made him let out a few grunts and groans of desperation. This was...how it ended. "H-Hey...hello...?" Leon's voice trailed off, catching in his throat almost as he exhaled shakily. Were the survivors still there, still listening? Had the camera cut off? "I-If you can...hear me...ghhh-!" Leonard's breath hitched once more, a dribble of blood falling from his lips as he panted. "...you did it, the...right thing. It doesn't matter what happens to me now, because...mmhh...the future lies ahead. L-Look forward for me, okay...?" Leonard asked, his eyes squeezing shut.

"Because I can only look back now..."

With those words, Leonard's eyes had shot back open after a short pause, followed by his uncontainable laughter from earlier. It was like he had lost his mind, knowing that he had already lost the game - he was letting go of everything that he had, including this facade that he had put up with for so long. No more words could be said to explain the utter despair boiling within his chest that he couldn't express, consuming every inch of him as he was forced to stare at the fire. Leonard Francis, the real Leonard Francis...was gone. There was no way to hide from the truth, not anymore, because as Leonard's laughter started up again, so did the conveyor belt.

The music didn't start back up, however, leaving the four survivors to cover their ears in terror as the horrific shrieks from Leon while his flesh was melted off echoed on the loudspeakers by its own - punishment for breaking character before being thrown into the incinerator.

The mastermind, the Ultimate Teacher's Assistant, was officially gone, his last words being filled with a hope that not even the survivors themselves could regenerate.


End file.
